Slight of Hand and Twist of Fate
by U2WildHoney
Summary: *UPDATE-CHAPTER 12 UP!!*A former student returns to Hogwarts as a teacher and is faced with the man she loves. Does he return her feelings? SS/OC. Its my first fic, so please read and review.
1. Arrival

{This story will hopefully be a multi-chapter one, as long as people enjoy it.}

Disclaimer: All characters (except Selene Hawkins, she's mine) are property of J.K. Rowling. I am just visiting her magical world for a while and I stand to make nothing from this short piece of pure fiction. Unless someone has access to Gringotts and can send me a few Gold Galleons via owl post. HAHA! 

~~~ Enough of that, on with the show. Enjoy!! And please review, as it is my very first fanfic ever written. Thanks!!! ~~~~ **BTW**: Words _italicized_ are the characters inner thoughts.

_Who ever would have thought I would be returning to Hogwarts?_, Selene thought to herself as stepped of the train. The castle was exactly as she had remembered it, high atop a green hill, the bright summer moon reflecting of the large picture windows on its sides. She jumped aside as a group of 3rd years ran past her, eager to meet up with old friends. _Ah, the good old days, the carefree life of a child_.  She had been asked by Dumbledore via owl post to return to Hogwarts, an opportunity she jumped at. He had requested her to fill the now-vacant position left by Madam Hooch, the flying teacher. She had some family business that required urgent attention causing her to relinquish her position there.  

Although giving up here position as Chaser on the Irish Quidditch team, The Kenmare Kestrels, was hard; she felt as if taking this job would be more profitable than winning the League Cup the 3rd year running. Having now reached the professors coach with Firebolt in hand, she was determined to figure out what the feeling was that she felt deep in here soul. Was it anxiety over her new job? _I have dealt with worse than this, she chuckled to herself, teaching flying and refereeing Quidditch matches would prove no sweat_.Anticipation, that was it. _But anticipation of what?,_ she thought. What could possibly happen that could make her feel this? She shook her head, clearing it of whatever the future had in store, after all she would be prepared for it. She was a Quidditch champ after all. The coach quickly approached the castle's great oak front doors, and upon reaching them came to a gentle stop right in front. Selene stepped out of the coach and headed up the short flight of stone steps that lead to the already open front doors. A wave of hushed whispers followed her as she walked through the mass of Hogwarts students. "Who is she?", "Look at that! She's got the latest model Firebolt!" were just some of the phrases she heard as she made her way up the stairs with the rest of the crowd to the Great Hall. 

And what a sight she was met with. Bright light from floating candles lit the large room, and house banners hung from the ceiling. _The Gryffindor banner looked exceptionally beautiful if I do say so myself but then again I am partial, _ she laughed inwardly at her thought. After all it had been her house when she had attended Hogwarts herself many years again. Heads turned as she walked down the rows between massive tables set for the feast. As she approached the table, she stopped in her tracks. She could not believe her eyes. _I never thought I would see him again in my life_, she mused at the sight of the man she had loved so long ago, but had never had the courage to tell him so.

Who could it be?! You'll just have to read on and find out…


	2. Encounter

~~Now you get to find out who the mystery man is! (Drum roll please….). Hope you enjoy it. And please R & R. Thanks!!~~

Disclaimer: All characters (except for Selene, she's my creation) belong to the wonderful Mrs. Rowling. This piece of pure fiction will not make any profit, unless some kind soul wishes to send some wizard money my way. Nah, only jokin'! 

BTW: Words _italicized_ are the characters inner thoughts. With that said, on with the show!

If Snape had not felt someone watching him, he would never have looked to see her standing there, mouth slightly agape in shock. _SELENE! Merlin's ghost!! Is that really her?!_ A look of shock passed over Severus' face for a fleeting moment and then it was gone. But Selene saw it, for she never missed anything, as she was quite observant. _Gods, I must look like a buffoon standing here! Ok, anytime you legs want to start walking is fine by me,_ she considered as her legs began to walk shakily up the step and around the table. _The only seat left is next to him, Merlin make me strong,_ she prayed as she walked and took her seat next to Severus. _What do I say?! "Hello, how are you? It's been forever." No for one that's trite and two I don't do chitchat,_ He thought as he pondered his next move. _Gods, Snape, get hold of yourself. It's just a woman. But what a woman she is! And I should add, always was._

"Hello Severus. Cat got your tongue? Or should I say a snake?", Selene said playfully. She smiled at him as he turned his head toward her, and for what seemed like forever, although it was only a moment, she was mesmerized. _He has not changed since I last saw him on graduation day so many years ago. _Albeit the fact that he had aged some, his features still looked youthful. Shoulder length raven colored hair slightly shadowing deep obsidian eyes, like pools of starless midnight sky. A strong, elegant jaw line and high, prominent cheekbones was the only way she could think do describe his face. But as she scanned his face for a sign that he had heard what she had said and intended to respond in some way, its was his lips that caused her to stare the most. _He's not pursing his lips like he **always** used to. They seem fuller, kissable. KISSABLE?!! Wait a minute, raging hormones. I thought I left that back when I was a teenager._

" Selene, pleasure seeing you here again.", his voice like silk, sending a delicious shiver down her spine. _Gods of all things magical!! 'pleasure'?! I know it has nothing to do with anything remotely sexual, but that voice alone could make me…_, but she was torn away from her thought by Dumbledore's voice, "Welcome back to all returning students and a warm welcome to all of the first years. The sorting ceremony will begin shortly, however, I have a short announcement to make. Madam Hooch has retired her position as flying instructor to attend to some family affairs." A few dejected sighs could be heard throughout the hall. " I know. We shall all miss her. However, a former Hogwarts student has graciously accepted the position. You students almost certainly recognize her from The Daily Prophet's sport section, as she has won their 'Chaser of the year' award 5 years running. Well without any further gilding the lily, may I present your new flying instructor, Miss Selene Hawkins." Blushing, she stood and smiled at the riotous applause coming from the students. With a small bow and a final wave, Selene retook her seat. "It seems your talent, and, charm has not gone unnoticed. It never did with me.", Severus whispered as he leaned close to her. As she looked over at him, she found (much to her delight) that he was smiling.

That is very un-Snapeish behavior, but I am of the opinion that he might just be a different person when he is not around students. But then again it's just my opinion. If you don't like my idea of Snape sans bad attitude, I apologize. I just thought I would try something new.


	3. Lessons

~~I write these chapters as the muse hits me, so bear with me. I promise to take no longer than a few days to post a new chapter. And please remember to keep reviewing. Thanks!!~~

Disclaimer: Same as the previous chapters. You all know it by now anyways. 

As before words in _italics_ are character's inner thoughts.

On with the story!

          The next morning started bright and early in the Great Hall over a delicious breakfast. Selene didn't normally eat breakfast as the mere sight of the food made her ill, but she could not resist the vast array of scrumptious foods that lay before her. She could hardly decide what to eat first but decided that she should eat light, as she was nervous about her upcoming first lesson. _I hope I can handle this. I don't want to make a fool of myself the first day out_, she pondered as she chewed on a piece of lightly toasted bread. She looked out over the crowd of students, some eager to start the new year, and others with looks of trepidation across their young faces. She knew that her first lesson of the day was at eleven o'clock with Gryffindor and Slytherin 5th years. And she had a few ideas as to what she could teach the first lesson but all of them seemed boring or stupid. 

"Don't worry so much about what to teach them", Dumbledore said, causing Selene to practically jump out of her skin. He smiled at her and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, "You will do fine, I believe the students cannot wait to attend your class. Teach from the heart and be yourself, that way nothing can go wrong."

"Thank you, Dumbledore. But tell that to my stomach, its in knots. I always get this way before anything important but everything ends up alright in the end", Selene smiled at Dumbledore. As she went back to her food, Professor McGonagall sat down next to her. "Good morning, Selene. Ready for your classes?" she asked with a small smile. "Good morning, Minerva. About as ready as I'll ever be", Selene replied with a weak smile.

"Your first lesson involves 5th year Slytherins does it not? Watch out for Draco Malfoy, he is quite the handful, if you know what I mean. If he gives you any trouble whatsoever, don't hesitate to give him detention and report him to Severus. And you can quote me on that", Minerva finished with a nod. Selene laughed, "Thank you for the heads up. I will definitely watch out for him."

As Selene finished her breakfast and took one last drink of her pumpkin juice, she heard a distance ring of a bell. She got up from her seat and bidding her colleague's good day, she went of the broom closet to fetch the brooms for class. She carried the bag of brooms to the field where class would take place and on her way, she almost literally ran into a young Gryffindor. 

"Oh, I'm sorry. Can't see a thing with this blasted bag in the way. Wait you look very familiar. Are you James Potter's son, Harry? Great Merlin alive! They weren't kidding when they said you looked just like him. I knew your father here at Hogwarts, as we were in the same house and on the Quidditch team together. Well, don't let me hold you up. You have a class to get to. What year are you, by the way?" she asked with a smile. "5th year, Ms. Hawkins," Harry replied as he started to walk backwards across the grass, "I have your class later today and I can't wait!!"  With a smile and a wave, she continued on her way. _Maybe this day is going to be better than I thought._

The morning went by quickly and before Selene knew it, she saw a group of students heading her way across the grass. And right away she recognized Draco. _He looks just like his father did. Same over-gelled hair and haughty attitude. Great, a Lucius Malfoy Mini-Me. And he has a motley crew, even better,_ she was referring to the two young boys that flanked Draco, those of which she did not know their names. _Probably Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum_, Selene thought as she exercised a lot of self-control not to laugh out loud. The students gathered around her and looked up at her in a way that could only be described as awe. 

"Good morning everyone and welcome to you first flying lesson of your 5th year. You may all call me Ms. Hawkins and if no one has any questions, we shall begin our lesson." Silence. "Well then, everyone grab a broom from the bag over there and once you have one please follow me to the Quidditch pitch." A mad scrabble ensued as everyone rushed to be the first to get his or her broom. In the process, Draco shoved a shorter Gryffindor out of his way so that he could get the best broom. "Mr. Malfoy! What do you think your doing?! All of the brooms are the same, so that was very unnecessary. Now apologize at once", Selene said tersely as she walked over to the fallen Gryffindor. When she got no reply from Draco, she repeated her words, "Mr. Malfoy. I will not ask you again. Apologize at once or I shall report you to Professor Snape." A quiet apology came from Draco, but Selene could tell he did not mean it. 

When the students had finished gathering their broomsticks, they began to follow Selene out onto the field. As she turned and faced them, she began "Today I will teach you some helpful advanced flying methods. Now I have set up an obstacle course that you can see above your heads." The students looked up and saw a series of barriers organized in order of difficulty, ranging from easy on the right to harder on the left. " Now each of you will fly through the obstacle course and I will be monitoring your progress. At the end of the course you will be given a level and from that I will determine what things I will be teaching you this year. Now I know everyone out here is not an expert but I am more than willing to help you all become better flyers. My hope is by the end of this year, you will all have improved tremendously. With that said, let's begin." Selene finished as she took out a piece of parchment from her pocket. 

"Ron Weasly?" just then a tall, flame haired boy made his way to the front of the pack, "Your up."  And on she went down the list, taking out her quill and writing notes after each student. _These students are really very good. Just one boy seems to have some trouble, a Neville Longbottom. I must talk to him after class_, Selene made a mental note and read the last name on the list. "Draco Malfoy, your turn". " I'll be done with this course before you can say Quidditch.", he smirked as he took to the air. He started the course just fine but somewhere near the end he lost it and crashed in to one of the barriers, Draco and the broom falling hard to the ground. Selene ran over and attempted to help him, but he pushed her away and stood up, very red in the face. "What was that you were sayin', Malfoy? Looks like you aren't all that good.", Ron said with a large smile across his face. But the laughter and the smiles of the students soon ended, as Draco ran headlong at Ron, tackling him to the ground, fists flying. "Boys, break it! Come on now, I said break it up!', Selene yelled as she ran toward them. She pulled the boys apart; each had blood dripping from their noses. "I can't believe this. Mr. Malfoy, you have detention and Mr. Weasly, 50 points from Gryffindor." Just then the bell rang, signaling the end of class. "Alright, everyone return your brooms to the bag and I will see you all tomorrow.", and turning to Draco and Ron, "As for you two, follow me." 

          The walk down the steps to the Dungeon was dark and cold, not to mention a little creepy. _I can't believe he works down here_. They had just left Professor McGonagall's, leaving Ron to his demise. As she and Draco continued down the dark hall to Snape's office, she couldn't help but think about how her first class had went. _Not like how I had planned it to go, but life has a funny way of screwing up our plans._  Upon reaching his door, Selene gave it a sound knock. "ENTER!", Snape yelled from the other side. _Great, sounds like he's in a bad mood, _as she opened the door and ushered Draco inside. Once both were inside, she shut the door.

"What is it Ms. Hawkins?", Snape barked at her. 

"Professor, Mr. Malfoy here was quite out of hand today. His fist offense was he shoved a student out of the way in line and then refused to apologize for his actions. I was forced to ask him twice before he did so. His second offense was tackling a Gryffindor student. Draco hit a barrier during his run of the obstacle course, and took a fall. A boy made a remark and Draco tackled him, punching him numerous times. I have reprimanded the other boy and he has been sent to Professor McGonagall for further discipline.", Selene finished sternly.

"Well, well. Mr. Malfoy. It seems that you took no time in endearing yourself to the new teacher.", Severus said curtly as he stood and walked toward Draco. "Is Ms. Hawkins telling me the truth?" when Draco did not lift his head to answer, Severus repeated himself, "Is she telling me the truth?" Finally Draco raised his head, "Yes, Professor. Its true." Severus paced in front of Draco, "25 points from Slytherin for your disrespect of authority and detention with Hagrid in the forest tonight for your insolence. Now go.", he spat as he turned his back on us. As we made our way to the door, he added, "and Ms. Hawkins, shut the door after Mr. Malfoy. I want a word with you."

Oooo, what's he going to say to her?! You'll have to wait to find out. Hehe J


	4. Request

Thanks for the great reviews, you guys rock. Some chapters may be longer than others and that's because sometimes I have a lot to say and other times I don't HAHAHA! 

Disclaimer: You guys know it already and no point in puttin' it up again cause it's the same as before. 

As always, words in italics are inner thoughts.

On with the story!

          O_h no. What did I do now?_, Selene thought as she stared a Severus' back. "Selene," he said turning to face her, "Albus has requested that I reinstate the Dueling Club. He has also asked that I take on a partner, someone capable. If my memory serves me, you were quite excellent at Charms during your studies at Hogwarts. Are you still as proficient?", he asked her. "Severus, despite the fact that I have spent the majority of my time away from Hogwarts playing Quidditch doesn't mean that I have forgotten any of my studies, especially Charms. You will be happy to know I'm still as good as I used to be, perhaps if not better.", Selene replied with a smile. 

          "That is good to hear. Then will you do the honor of joining me as my partner for the Dueling Club? But I must warn you that I am still quite the dueler, if you remember.", Severus asked her. And how could Selene forget. (Flashback) In her 4th year at Hogwarts, the dueling club was all the rage. Bets would be made as to who would be the victor in each duel. And those who felt that they were incapable of such things regarded those that won with a sort of astonished awe. And how could she forget the times that Severus had beaten the living snot out of anyone who dared challenge him. All except Selene. She was the only one to ever best him. And she remembered the duel like it happened yesterday. It happened on a cold rainy October evening a few days before Halloween. The great hall was a buzz with bets being made for the many duels that would occur that night. But the match that drew the most frenzy was Severus vs. Selene. A Slytherin vs. a Gryffindor, a guy against a girl no less. Most of the duels were guys against guys or girls against girls but never had a match been between opposite sexes, which was why this match was deemed "The Prize Fight". As the night wore on money was lost and won, and it came to the final match of the night. Selene and Severus took their places and a hush fell over the crowd. They faced each other, wands in combat position, and bowed. Rising they turned their backs to each other walked 10 paces, then turned and faces each other again. The instructor counted to 3 and the match began. Severus struck first, "Expelliarmus!", he yelled pointing his wand at Selene. A blast of red light issued from his wand, and he thought for sure he had won. But Selene had other plans. She used a blocking spell to block the attack, and countered with and "Expelliarmus" of her own. The wand flew from his hand and landed in her outstretched free hand. Severus stood in shock; he could not believe he had been beat. The Gryffindor crowd exploded into loud applause. Selene merely smiled and walked over to the still dumbstruck Severus. "Here's your wand back. Good match, nice try.", she said to him. But all he could do was stare at her, he had been beaten, and by a girl no less which only made the defeat worse. But in the back of his mind, the woman who had beaten him intrigued him. He had always admired great ability and she had shown him that she possessed a great deal. In spite of himself, he was smiling at her. This took her aback. _I just beat him and he's smiling at me. Ok whatever_, she thought as she looked at him. And despite herself, she found she was smiling at him too. That's when she first felt something for Severus, and he first felt something for her. (End Flashback)

          "Of course, Severus. I would be honored to be your assistant for the Dueling Club. We will be demonstrating how it works for the students, right?", to which he nodded and she smiled, "Good maybe this time you can beat me, but don't count on it.", she said as she winked at him. "Selene. You truly are a Gryffindor. But I doubt that the victory shall be yours. I have been waiting for this for a great many years and now I have my chance, and I don't plan to let it get away.", he said to her as walked toward her. She stepped up to him and smiling, whispered in his ear, "I always did love a challenge, and I am more than ready for what you have in store." Stepping away from him with a smile still on her face, she asked, "So when do we start?". A smile played at the corner of his lips, "Not soon enough. Tomorrow night, 8 o'clock." With a parting wink, "I can't wait.", as Selene walked to the door. Opening it, she stepped outside. Once the door was shut, Severus walked over to his desk and flopped into his chair. _Great_, he thought as he ran his hands through his hair, _what have I gotten myself into? A rematch with the most beautiful woman in the whole wizarding world. That smile, _he shivered at the thought_, could disarm even the best wizard. How am I going to win this one?_

Stay tuned to see if Severus wins…or loses again. Keep those reviews comin'!


	5. Rematch

Thanks for the great reviews, keep 'em comin'.

And one minor side-note, I have not read half of the Snape stories on this website. If there is any resemblance to any story it was done without my knowledge. I did not mean to make it sound like another story, and since there are so many stories out there, it is very hard not to have some overlap. I apologize to the writer of the story that I seem to have resembled my story after, but it was NOT done intentionally. I hope you all can understand, thanks!

Disclaimer: You guys know I don't own any of these characters, although I wish I owned Snape. But that's a whole other kettle of fish…

On with the story!

          The next morning dawned cloudy, threatening rain. Selene turned away from her bedroom window and pulled the covers over her head. _It can't be morning already_, she thought as she attempted to fall back asleep. She had had a terrible nights sleep and was not looking forward to her day. Selene had just begun to doze off again, when she heard a loud tapping at her window. Throwing the covers off her face and turning toward the sound of the noise, she saw it was her owl, Artemis, clutching a white envelope in her beak. Selene got out of bed and grumbling to herself, walked over to the window and opened it. In flew Artemis, who landed on Selene's shoulder. 

          "So what have you brought me today?", she asked her owl as she took the letter from his beak. Artemis hooted softly, and with a parting nip on her ear, flew back out the open window. Selene opened the letter, it was from her mother. Scanning the letter, she surmised her mother wanted to know how school was going and for Selene to write her as soon as she had the time. She sat at her desk and wrote a quick reply, stating she was fine and that her job was wonderful. Then she got dressed and, letter in hand, walked down the corridor to the Great Hall for breakfast.

          On her way, she encountered Draco Malfoy, who gave her an evil look. _Geez, some people just can't take discipline_, she thought shaking her head. Upon entering the Great Hall, she noticed that the ceiling was just like the sky outside, dull gray with scattered rain clouds. But the smell of delicious food caught her and she forgot all about the sky and concentrated on her growling stomach. She took her seat at the table and piled food on her plate. She had come to enjoy watching the students while she ate, much like bird watching, only it was student watching. Students talked with their mouths full, about the first day of school and which classes were "wicked" and which ones sucked. Before she knew it the bell was ringing, and that meant class time. She made her way to the broom closet to collect the supplies for her classes.

          She decided she would drop off her letter to her mother in the Owlery for Artemis to deliver. After that, she went to the Quidditch pitch to wait for her classes. Time flew by and soon she was engrossed in her 5th year class. Draco was significantly subdued, partly due to the fact that he had been punished severely and partly because he had fallen on his arse the day before. Everyone was trying there best, and Selene even noticed an improvement in Neville's flying. Soon it was lunchtime and a group of students were practically begging her to let them help her with the brooms, but Selene told them not to worry. 

          By the afternoon the whole of Hogwarts was buzzing with excitement. Dumbledore had announced that the Dueling Club would be having their first meeting that night and anyone who wished to attend should sign the parchment hanging in the hallway. He also told them that Ms. Hawkins and Professor Snape would be heading the meeting. Little did they know that the demonstration by the two of them was of such great importance to each of them. As the day dragged on, Selene had 4 more classes of students and as the last class left the pitch, it was already dusk. She headed once again into the Great Hall and found Severus sitting at the table and next to him was an open chair. She sat down next to him and as she leaned to grab the bowl of mashed potatoes, Selene whispered to him, "So are you still up for tonight?. Severus turned to her and said, "Do you actually think that I would give up this opportunity?". "Good", she replied coolly, "because I can't wait."

          Dinner was soon over and Selene stayed behind to set up the Great Hall for the meeting. Using her wand, she moved tables and chairs, and stacked them on the sides of the room, leaving one table in the center for the duel. 8 o'clock arrived fast and the students began to stream into the room, loud and excited. And behind them was…dear Merlin, Severus! _Oh my giddy aunt!!! He looks absolutely **fuckable**! Did I just say **fuckable**?! Well, look at him, for Merlin's sake!, _Selene thought as she stared at him fixedly. He was not wearing his robes, rather a button-up black shirt that hugged his broad shoulders tucked into black slacks that conformed to his lean waist and legs. The pants were not tight by any stretch of the imagination, they merely showed off attributes that Selene had never seen, as his body was always hidden under his flowing robes.  _His hotness level just grew 50 points, and my temperature just rose 10 degress. How am I going to win this duel if I am too busy staring at his…, _she was ripped for her thoughts by Severus' voice. 

"SILENCE!". With that, not another sound was heard. Breaking the stillness, Selene began. "Welcome everyone to the first meeting of the Dueling Club. Professor Snape and I shall begin with a demonstration for those of you who have never been at one. Professor," she said pointing to the opposite end of the table, "that will be your side. And this end, will be mine. Now I will go through the process once step by step, so everyone please pay attention. You meet your opponent at the center of the table, facing each other, wands in combat position. Then you bow and turn, walking 10 paces away from each other. Once you have walked 10 paces, you turn and face your opponent once again. And combat begins on the count of 3. Professor would you do the honors.", Selene stated as she waited for the match to begin. _Ok focus. You can beat him, just do like you did before, _she thought with a deep breath. 

"One…two…three", Severus counted. Selene was first to strike. "Expelliarmus", she shouted. But Snape was prepared. He blocked her spell and countered with his own spell. However, Selene knew what he was doing and prepared a blocking spell of her own. And it seemed as if time stood still, for both of them raised their wands and spoke the spell at the same time, "Expelliarmus."  The orange light from her wand hit the blue light that issued from his wand somewhere in between them, creating a great explosion, that knocked both of them off their feet. The match was a draw. And the students erupted in tumultuous applause. Selene got up slowly, shaking her head of the stars she saw. She saw that Severus was already up, bent over; hand on his knee, holding his head. Selene fought the urge to run over and she if he was all right. Instead she walked over to him calmly and asked, "Severus, are you all right?". He looked at her and stated plainly, "You haven't lost your edge, I'll say that much.", and holding out his hand, smiled diminutively and said, "Good match." Taking his hand, she smiled, " I agree." And turning to the crowd of excited students, she announced, "Those who signed up to actually duel, please step forward and we will pair you off." The night wore on without any hindrance or complication. Severus stood off to the side as Selene helped a group of Gryffindors with their technique and he regarded her with a silent admiration. _Selene is quite a strong woman. She did not show any fear and stood up to me when a lesser person would have cowered. Could she harbor some feeling for me? She is simply not afraid of you, Severus. You are reading into this far too much_, he decided. But in the back of his mind, Severus knew that Selene did feel something for him, or at least he hoped she did.

Ooo, Severus is in love! (sing-song voice). But will he have the guts to tell her and will she like-wise?  Stay tuned to find out and please keep reviewing.


	6. Invitation

Sorry it took so long to post a new chapter, I've had writer's block! Anyways, hope you enjoy. And please keep R & R, its most helpful.

Disclaimer: Same as before yada, yada, yada. 

Also, as always, words in _italics_ are character's inner thoughts.

          The warmer late summer days had given way to the colder ones of early winter as November began in the wizarding world. Selene was thoroughly enjoying her time at Hogwarts, and being around young people made her feel exceptionally younger. Her classes were progressing famously, now even Neville could stay on his broom till the end of the obstacle course. She enjoyed refereeing and sometimes giving the teams a few unbiased pointers, although her pointers usually helped Gryffindor win, as if they needed anymore help anyway. They were at the top of the points, with Slytherin and Ravenclaw tied for second, and a sorry-looking Hufflepuff in third. But as Selene knew only too well, that fragile lead could change within a mere moment or a catch of the Snitch for that matter. The Dueling Club was all the rage again, and although betting was now punishable, it still went on silently in the background. 

          But what Selene found herself cherishing the most was the brief moments that she and Severus could speak alone. Whether it was in the hall after classes, over dinner or alone in his office, she valued them quite highly. Occasionally, Selene would say something that struck him as funny, and he would smile and, even more rarely, laugh. _His whole demeanor changes when he laughs,_ she had often found herself thinking. She knew that very soon Christmas would be there, and so would the Christmas Dance. Selene found herself dreading that day, and she couldn't understand why. Maybe it was the fact that if no asked her to go with them, she would end up there alone, a wallflower. Or maybe it was the fact that Severus might ask her to go with him and then there would be even more questions flying around. As it was Professor McGonacall was sure that she and Severus were conducting a secret affair, and made it a point to toss Selene a knowing glance every time she saw her speaking with him. She couldn't take it anymore, the looks from the staff and the constant questions from students and teachers alike, but she figured she'd let them stare and gossip, _let them have some excitement_, she often thought. 

          November came and went faster than Selene had hoped, and the first day of December dawned cold and rainy. _Great, teaching in the rain is so much fun_, she thought sarcastically to herself. The day dragged on, as sheets of rain pelted the castle walls and wind blew leaves across the lawn. Mud was everywhere and more than once, Selene had to reach down and pull her booted foot out of a deep mud puddle, the grounds were so wet, it looked like a quagmire for as far as the eye could see. By lunch she was soaked, and had to go to her quarters to change before heading off to the Great Hall. After lunch, she was reluctant to leave the comforting warmth of the castle for the harsh cold outside, but she knew she couldn't just cancel class for a little rain. Braving the weather once more, she finished her afternoon classes and once again made her way to her chambers to change.

          Dinner was scrumptious, roasted turkey and cranberry sauce, gravy and potatoes, and for desert, flaky cherry and raspberry tarts and warm apple pie_. I would hate to know how much weight I have gained just tonight_, she thought, as she polished off two slices of pie and numerous tarts. 

          Returning to her chambers to find her wet clothes folded and dry on her bed, she silently thanked the house elves for their hard work. Pointing her wand to the fireplace, and almost instantly a fire sprang to life. Grabbing a book and a blanket, she curled up in her favorite chair by the fire and began to read. Not much time had passed before a knock came at her door. And I was just getting to the good part too, she thought as she walked to the door.  And much to her surprise, she found Severus standing before her. "Good evening Selene. Sorry to bother you at such an hour, but may I speak with you?" Wondering what he could possibly want, she invited him in. 

            "Well, Severus, this is a surprise. But it seems to be important so I won't keep you.", she said with a small smile. And that's when she noticed he wasn't wearing black, rather a midnight blue shirt and charcoal gray slacks. "So the man does own colors other than black. I'm pleasantly shocked!", she said just as he was about to speak, "but I'm interrupting. Please, go on." But Severus was flustered now and had forgotten what he intended to say, so instead he said exactly what he was thinking, "Yes I do own colors other than black. But they are reserved for a select few people." 

          "I guess that makes me one of them.", she said, tapping her finger against her lips. 

          "Did you figure that all on your own or did you have someone whisper the answer to you?", he replied sarcastically, crossing his arms. 

          "Are you mocking me, Severus? I don't think you want to do that.", she countered shaking her head.

          "Really? And why not?", he responded, knowing it was an empty threat. He chuckled and began, "I apologize, forgive me. I was just having a bit of fun with you. I really came here to request something of you. Christmas draws near, as…umm…does the ball. I was wondering if you would…ah…if you would ever consider…" Severus struggled to find the words. He was not good with asking people out and this was exceptionally hard. 

          "You want me to go to the ball with you? Is that what you mean?" she said somewhat surprised, but mostly, ecstatic. She had never seen his so flustered before, but she hoped she had something to do with it. "Yes, that's exactly what I meant. So will you?" he asked her, a look of hopefulness in his eyes. 

          "Will I what?" she asked quizzically, knowing full well what he meant. "You know what I mean, Selene. Don't pretend like you do not know." he replied, walking toward her, a look of slight frustration across his face. "Of course I know what you mean, Severus, you silly git. I just wanna hear you ask me, that's all." she stated simply, shaking her head, chuckling slightly. 

          "Alright then. Will…you…accompany…me…to…the…ball?", with each word he stepped closer to her, looking straight into her eyes. Selene swallowed hard as he came to a stop mere inches from her. He was so close she could feel his breath on her skin and smell his aftershave. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, hoping it would calm her nerves, the same nerves that begged her to reach out and touch him. Upon opening them again, she found he was now smiling at her. _I hope he doesn't see the effect that he has on me_, she prayed as she opened her mouth to reply. _I didn't realize what an effect I have on her_, Severus mused as he waited for her reply. 

          "Alright, Severus. I will accompany you to the ball." she replied shakily, trying not to look into his eyes. He smiled and turned to walk to the door. But as he opened the door he said, "Excellent. It's a date then." And left, closing the door before Selene could even process that he had said the word "date". 

          "What?!" Date?!", she exclaimed as she ran to the door, hoping to catch Severus and ask him **exactly** what he meant by that. But by the time she yanked opened the door and looked out into the hall, she saw no one. She couldn't believe her ears, Severus Snape had asked her on a date. _Well its not technically a date, but it counts as one in my book_, she thought as she silently cheered. 

Not to worry! There is much more cat and mouse to this story ahead than it seems. You'll just have to read and find out. 


	7. A Gift

Thanks for all the great reviews from everyone (J.S. Sumner, alexgray, Laura, Lierin, Rosemerta, Sukkumbus)! I read them and some of them make me wanna cry (in a good way!). Keep 'em comin'! 

_Italics_ are characters inner thought if you didn't already know.

          The anticipation of the Yule Ball and what it would bring sat in the pit of Selene's stomach like a rock since Severus had asked her to accompany him. She could not understand her apprehension, the same fear that kept her awake until late in the night, staring at her ceiling. She woke in the morning, irritable and quick-tempered, quite unlike her usual personality. Even Severus noticed the change in her, and when he asked her if everything was all right, she had snapped at him, and it took him aback. He was worried about her, she had lost the sunny disposition that he had come to enjoy and look forward to everyday and she also looked extremely worn out, as if something heavy was weighing on her soul. He hid his worry from every one behind his usual cantankerous behavior, but when Severus was alone, he paced his room, debating within himself whether he should go to her and voice his concern for her well being. He finally decided that the next time he had a quiet moment with her, he would talk with her about how she was doing and see if he couldn't figure out what had made her change.

          The Yule Ball was barely a week away, and the students were going on a trip to Hogsmeade that very weekend. Selene thought it would be just the thing she needed, to get out of the castle and into the crisp December air, which smelled faintly like Christmas trees and fireplaces, and get her mind off of her thoughts. The morning of the trip dawned with bright sunshine, but still cold enough to see your breath, causing everyone to buddle up in coats, scarves, and gloves. Feeling festive, Selene wore an emerald green cloak with beautiful scarlet trim over her robes and around her neck, a Gryffindor scarf. As they made their way to Hogsmeade, Selene felt significantly better. _I guess this is what I needed_, she thought as her feet crunched under the drifts of newly fallen snow, the ground a blanket of white for miles as the eye could. _But once I get there, I'm heading straight for Honeyduke's_ _and buying some of their famous chocolate_, she thought dreamily. But as she was contemplating the assortment of sweets that awaited her there, she felt someone's eyes burning into her back. She stopped in her tracks and turned to find Severus staring at her, a far-off look in his eyes. She couldn't miss this opportunity, because she knew she would never catch him like that again. 

          "Are you thinking about me, Severus?" Selene said mischievously. 

He snapped back to reality and smiled at her gently. "Whom else would I possibly want to think of?" he said as he closed the distance between them. They fell into step as they continued on their way to Hogsmeade. "Would you join me for a drink at The Three Broomsticks?" he asked, hoping she would say yes. "I'd like that very much." she replied, smiling up at him. 

_Now is my chance to talk to her_, he thought as they made their way through the crowded streets to The Three Broomsticks. He held the door open for her, and they made their way to a quiet table in the far corner of the room. A waitress came and took their orders, a butterbeer for each. Selene was surprised by his order, figuring him more of a liquor drinker than a butterbeer one. He must have picked up on her reaction as he said, "I don't seem like the person who would order a butterbeer, do I?" 

Rather than lie, she said truthfully, "Yes, I figured you as a liquor drinker instead. But, then again, I should have known not to judge by appearances."

"So that is how you see me? As a heavy drinker?" Severus stated, somewhat taken aback by her comment.

"No, Severus, not at all. I meant that you seem more likely to drink something made for adults rather than something that children adore." she replied, trying to remove her foot from her mouth. 

"May I ask you a personal question?" Severus said.

"Of course, as long as it is not about the color of my underwear. Ask away." Selene said playfully.

Severus leaned in and whispered, "I wouldn't mind knowing what color your underwear is, but even more so, I wouldn't mind seeing it either." Then he sat back and laughed.

Pretending to be appalled, Selene huffed, "Well, I never. Severus, you are incorrigible." But she couldn't help it either, and she began to laugh as well. "Now what did you really want to ask me?" she said, pushing a wisp of hair behind her ear. 

"You don't have to answer it if you want, but I am concerned about your change in disposition. You seem preoccupied, as if something is bothering you greatly. It pains me to see you this way, and I was wondering if I could help you in some way?" Severus questioned, a serious yet concerned look on his face. If the concern written on his face wasn't enough, he reached across the table and took her hand in his, giving it a gentle but reassuring squeeze.

 "Unless you have a cure for insomnia that does not require a potion of some kind, you won't be much help to me. Sometimes I have a hard time sleeping and when I don't get enough sleep, I become cranky and irritable. I recently received a letter from my mother and she said she was ill with a cold. Now I know that that should not be something to get overtly worried about, but, being that my mother is no longer young, it worries me when she gets ill. And in worrying, I lose sleep and end up the way I am. I appreciate your concern very much, Severus. I didn't think anyone was paying so much attention to little old me." Selene finished quietly.

"I'm not the only one paying you a great deal of attention although I almost certainly pay you the most out of everyone concerned. I'm pleased to see that it was nothing too serious and feel free to speak to me if you ever experience the need." he finished with a smile. 

And they continued to talk about their lives, their pasts. Some of it was hard for them, but they trusted each other enough to reveal everything. As morning turned into afternoon and The Three Broomsticks began to fill with students, Severus and Selene both decided they should do what they were supposed to have been doing all morning: chaperoning. They ran into each other through out the rest of the day in various shops and in the streets, Selene had the feeling that he was following her around, but she could care less. Dusk came quickly and the students made their way reluctantly back to Hogwarts, excitedly showing off their purchases to their friends. A wonderful feast was awaiting their return in The Great Hall. As Selene walked up the stone steps to the castle, she felt as though a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders, for she no longer worried about what the Yule Ball would bring. She was entirely ready for it.

The students reveled in the warmth of the Hall's many fireplaces, blazing in bright red orange fire. Trays of food were emptied at lightning speed, but were quickly replaced by fresh platters of the same succulent dish. Selene was in high spirits and everyone noticed she was her usual sunny self. Dumbledore stood up to announced the winner of the Yule Ball 'Dance with a Professor' contest. Selene had signed up as "the professor" and now she would be dancing with three boys from the student body. 

"Now to announce the winners of our contest. As you all know, 3 young men from our student population have been chosen at random from those who entered and our very lucky winners will be dancing with the lovely flying professor, Ms. Hawkins. Without further a due, our first winner is Fred Weasley of Gryffindor." At that, Fred shot up from his seat and jumped and cheered as if he had just won the Quidditch Cup, high-fiving his friends. Selene couldn't help but laugh at his excitement. "Our second winner is Marcus Flint of Slytherin." He cheered and high-fived his friends, but inwardly Selene shuddered. She had always thought Marcus was a little creepy, ok, a lot creepy, and now she would have to dance with him. _Great_, she thought, forcing a smile. "And our third and final winner, another Gryffindor, Mr. Harry Potter." Harry just sat there, his mouth agape in surprise, as his friends slapped him on the back in congratulations. Inwardly, she cheered for Harry.

As she walked from The Great Hall to her chambers, she considered the reactions from the winners. _I guess I'm still as beautiful as I used to be. I overhear them sometimes calling me a "fox" and a "babe", so I guess that's a good sign_, she mused as she rounded the corner and walked down the short corridor to her door. That's when she noticed a small package set in front of the entrance to her chambers. _What's this,_ she thought excitedly as she quickened her pace and bent to retrieve the package. It was wrapped in soft midnight blue velvet and as she undid the ribbon that held it together, the velvet fell open to reveal a mother of pearl barrette, in a gleaming silver setting. _Who would give me such a gift_, she thought as she searched the present for a tag, and found it hanging from the silver ribbon. It read: 

_Selene_

_When I saw this beautiful barrette, I thought of you. _

_It would please me if you wore it to the Yule Ball._

_Severus_

A single tear rolled down her cheek as she pushed open the door to her chambers. _How could I turn down such a request_, she thought as she wiped the tear away and closed the door behind her.

Who knew Snape could be such a sweetie!! The Yule Ball is comin' up next chapter, so stay tuned!


	8. The Ball

The Yule Ball is finally here, and I'm **so** sorry for the LONG wait, my computer has issues LOL. Thank you to all those who have reviewed my story and to Laura, "If you thought the last chapter was great, then you'll _love_ this one." One small thing, this chapter is VERY LONG, but reads fast. Don't let it deter you from reading it. I took a concept from the film "A Beautiful Mind" (don't worry it has **nothing** to do with math) and I'm giving credit to Ron Howard for the idea. 

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters…blah…blah…except Selene. 

_Italics_, like you need to be told again, are characters inner thoughts.

          Selene slept sweetly that night, the barrette sitting on the nightstand beside her bed. And awoke Christmas morning to freshly fallen snow on her windowsill and a gentle tapping at the window; it was her owl, Artemis, straining under the immense weight of a box attached to her leg. Selene hurried to the window, opened it, and removed the box from her, as Artemis flew wobbly to her bed and crash-landed. _Poor thing_, she thought, shaking her head. The package was from her mother and it contained several cakes, a beautiful comb, several Muggle novels by her favorite authors, and new dragon hide boots (just what she needed). Selene inwardly thanked her mother and hoped that the package she had sent made it there in time. Artemis, now rested, was eager to return to the Owlery, so Selene opened the window and she flew away with a gentle hoot. She was opening the stack of presents from students (mostly candy), when she heard another tapping at her window. _Artemis is back again, for what now?_, she thought as she walked to the window. But she soon realized it was not Artemis, but another owl. She knew it was a Short-Ear Owl by its coloration and face shape, but she didn't know for the life of her who it belonged to. She opened the window and the owl flew in, dropped the package on her bed, and stood in front of it, waiting for something. She stared at the owl, and decided he must be waiting for a thank you. She reached out her hand, he nipped it gently, and satisfied, flew back out the window.

          Selene eyed the package warily, shrugged her shoulders, and plopped down on her bed to open it. She undid the gold ribbon and pulled apart the wrapping to find a black cloak inside. She picked up the cloak and it immediately changed color under her fingers. Shocked, she dropped it and stood up from her bed, the cloak retuning to its original black color. _Is this what I think it is?_, she eyed the cloak closely. She decided it must be and picked it up, a piece of parchment falling from within the folds to land on the floor. The cloak turned a deep green and shimmered as if a thousand stars sparkled within its fabric. Stooping to pick up the parchment, she began to read:

_Selene_

_Happy Christmas._

_Severus_

Selene smiled broadly and then she realized something, _I got him the same thing_. Leaving the cloak on her bed and spelling herself dressed she rushed from her chambers and headed straight to Severus'. Reaching his door, quite out of breath, she smoothed her robes out and took a deep breath before knocking. "Enter!" a sharp voice said from somewhere behind the door. She pushed open the door and peeked her head inside. Severus turned to see who it was and his face changed from its usual sternness to a gentle smile. 

          "Good morning Selene." As Severus spoke she covertly looked over his room, attempting to find the present she sent him and have him not notice she was looking. She succeeded at the first, spotting it on the chair by the fire, and failed at the second. 

          "Selene, are you looking for something?" he asked her quizzically, her eyes now wide and fixed on him.

          "No, Severus. I'm not looking for anything. Nothing at all. Not one single thing." she said quickly, and inwardly she cursed herself for that. _Now he knows I AM looking for something,_ she thought, her hands fidgeting behind her back. 

          "I think you are looking for something, you simply do not wish to say so." he smiled as he said this, walking toward her, fastening the button on the cuff of his sleeve. 

          "What makes you thing that, Severus?" she asked him with a shaky voice. _If he didn't know before, I just gave it away right then_, she thought inwardly. 

          "Three things actually. Firstly, you're fidgeting. Secondly, the tremor in your voice. And lastly, the fact that you cannot look me in the eyes and you keep looking over at the fireplace." he stated to her in his 'Mr. Know-It-All Professor' voice, but a smile played at the corner of his lips.

          He followed her eyes to where she was looking and noticed she was staring at the unopened present on the chair. "Ah, I see. You are wondering why I have not opened your present yet. Thank you for reminding of that." he said as he walked over to the chair, and picked up the present. _Great here we go_, she cringed as she walked toward him. She watched in trepidation as he undid the ribbon binding the package and took out its contents. The cloak turned blue the second his fingers touched the delicate fabric and he turned to look at Selene.

          "This looks oddly familiar. Now where have I seen this before?" tapping his finger on his chin. "Ah, yes. This is the exact gift I purchased for someone else. And it seems as though that person has done the same for me." he said smiling as he turned to look at her. And all Selene could do was smile and hope he liked it.

          As if reading her thoughts, Severus added, "I wanted one for myself, but I only had enough Galleons with me to purchase one. I had hoped that someone would by it for me, and lo, it happens. And as they say 'Great minds think alike'. But my main concern is this, does the striking woman I purchased the cloak for like it?" Severus stepped close to her and looked into Selene's eyes. 

          "She does. So very much." she replied, beaming up at him. The look in his eyes told her he wanted to kiss her badly, but she looked away, his gaze far too intense for her already weak knees. 

          "I am most pleased." he whispered as he placed a hand on her cheek. Selene sighed and closed her eyes, relishing in the warmth of his fingers on her cheek. She opened her eyes and looked up at him, he was still staring intently at her. He moved in to kiss her, but a loud noise in the hall broke the magic of the moment. Severus walked to the door and stepped into the hallway, Selene followed after him and saw Draco Malfoy accosting a Gyrffindor first year. 

          "Mr. Malfoy, unhand him at once!" he barked. Malfoy reluctantly let the boy go, and as soon as the boy's feet hit the floor he was off running. "Explain yourself at once." And at that, Malfoy went on and on attempting to explain himself but to no avail. 

          "50 points from Slytherin. Now get out of my sight!" he snapped and turned to walk back in his chambers. 

          But Selene was standing there watching him, a grin on her face and her arms crossed. 

          "What, no detention, Severus?" she said to him, shaking her head.

          "It is Christmas after all, I must show **some** kindness. At least let him think he is getting off easy. But mark my words, when he returns from holiday, he will have detention."  

          Selene laughed, "Now that's the Severus I know."

          "On a lighter note, about tonight. I would like for you to meet me at the Great Hall doors at 7:45 and be prepared for a wonderful evening." he smiled as he strode past her into his room. 

          "See you then." And she walked back to her chamber.

          The rest of the day passed by quickly, a haze of wizard chess games with students and flying with Harry and Ron. Dusk had fallen as she made her way to her chambers to ready herself for the Ball. She found her dress laid out on her bed and her shoes beneath it. _Merlin bless those house elves_, as she slipped out of her robes and stepped into the bathroom for a short bath. While drying her hair in a towel, she thought of the kiss that nearly happened. She had dreamt about kissing him, how his lips would feel on hers, and she had also dreamt about *other* things, things only she and her journal knew about. Using a spell she dried the rest of hair and picked the dress up from the bed, stepping into it. Fastening the eyes in the back and zipping the zipper on the lower back portion of the dress, she admired herself in the mirror. "Stunning, my dear." the mirror said to her. 

          The dress accentuated the best, from her tall frame and broad shoulders to her thin waist and long, shapely legs. The gown was off the shoulder and emerald green with matching satin trim. It was not tight but it hugged her body in all the right places and grazed the floor slightly in its length. The reverse side was a web of straps that criss crossed her back, exposing her delicate sun-kissed skin. She stepped into her strappy black high heels, and picked up the barrette from her nightstand. She opened the clasp and placed it in her hair, but before she could fix her hair the way she wanted it, the barrette had done her hair for her, sweeping it into a graceful up-do. Making a mental note to thank Severus at length for the barrette, she grabbed her emerald lace shawl and walked to the Great Hall. _7:40_, she thought, _good I'm early_. She saw numerous students trying to find their dates within the massive crowd of people, calling across the room and waving to get others attention.

           That's when Selene saw him, by the wall on the other side of the crowd, his back to her. She circled around the crowd, boys gawking open-mouthed, their dates hitting them on the arm. He turned as if he felt someone staring at him, and he saw her. A vision of beauty, like no other woman he had ever seen. All Severus could do was stare, he knew that it was impolite to do so, but he could not tear his eyes from her, drinking in every inch of her from her big brown eyes and their long lashes to her smooth, fragile skin and petite waist. The fact that the dress was long left Severus to wonder at the shape of her legs and then a wicked thought surfaced how might they feel wrapped around his naked flesh. _Think with your mind and not your crotch_, as he blinked to push the thought from his mind. 

          Selene found herself staring as well, for she was meet with an equally captivating image. He stood before her all in black, but for once the ensemble was not intimidating, rather, it was romantic in a sense. The shirt clung to his chest and shoulders and his slacks formed to his long legs, exposing the fact that he had an athletic body, one she had never seen, since his robes usually hid everything from view. Wrapped around his shoulders was a heavy wool cloak, fastened in the front with a silver snake clasp. "Good evening Severus." she managed to croak out. Standing very straight and bowing to her, he replied, "Good evening Selene." 

          Professor McGonagall entered the corridor at that moment, opening the doors to the Great Hall and inviting the teachers to enter first. Severus offered Selene his hand, and she took it, reveling in the warm strength and tenderness she felt from his fingers. He led her through the doors and the sight she saw took her breath away. No expense was spared, as the Hall was brimming with decorations of all sorts. Holly and ivy hung from the walls like live tapestries and heavily decorated Christmas trees touched the ceiling, their branches seemed to be afire with bright white light. She felt something feather light on her shoulder and looked up to find it was snowing softly, the snow was enchanted to melt before it hit the floor, saving the wizards major clean up time. He steered her to a table by the roaring fireplace, and pulling out a chair, he offered her the seat closest to the fire. The table sat only two and Severus sat across the small round table, facing her. The table centerpiece consisted of a lantern with an ever-burning candle inside, the flame flickering in a kaleidoscope of colors. A snow globe sat next to the lantern, a spell placed on the objects inside, a never-ending scene of snowball fights and horse-drawn sleigh rides through the snow. And around both objects, a wreath of pine boughs and pine cones. They waited as the children filed into the hall taking their seats at tables, each one seating 10.  Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall followed after the children, the doors closing behind them. Dumbledore was dressed as Father Christmas, much to the delight of the children and the humor of the staff. Severus rolled his eyes, but Selene could tell he was trying very hard not to smile. 

          Buffet tables ran the length of both walls and its golden platters lay empty waiting for delicious food to be placed upon them. Once everyone was seated and the room went quiet, Dumbledore stood and spoke, "Happy Christmas everyone! And welcome to this year's Yule Ball. The evening will begin with dining and social conversation. It will then continue with dancing till midnight. Now without further a due, let the feast begin!" With that he clapped his hands, and food filled the buffet tables. Teachers and students alike went to get their food and returned to their tables to enjoy food and conversation. Severus  and Selene talked over glasses of wine and plates of turkey and potatoes. For her, the world floated away as she listened to his words and the form of his lips as he spoke. Little did she know he hung on her every word, allowing her voice to flow over him like silk. Dinner was soon over and the dancing was about to begin. Dumbledore asked everyone to stand up and move to the sides of the room. The dinner tables vanished and a dance floor appeared in its place, the buffet tables shrinking enough to hold containers of butterbeer and cups and he placed them at the corners by the Christmas trees. 

          Out of the corner of Selene's eye, she saw that Severus looked very nervous, as he stood extremely straight and stared straight ahead. 

          "Severus, are you alright?" she asked as she leaned to him.

          "Oh. I'm fine, Selene." he replied swallowing hard. 

          "You know, you're a better wizard than you are a liar." she said, suppressing a giggle.

          He turned to face her and said, "Very funny." Selene just smiled, and he closed his eyes and shook his head. A waltz began to play, and she turned to him in expectation. He pretended not to notice as students and teachers took the floor and began dancing. 

          Taking matters into her own hands, she asked, "Severus, would you care to dance?" 

          His brow furrowed, and he said, "Am I not supposed to ask you to dance?"

          "Well, I don't see you asking me."

          "I was about to." he replied.   

          "Then ask me." as she crossed her arms in mock frustration, but not being able to hold it, she laughed. 

          He cleared his throat, and offering her his hand, asked softly, "May I have this dance?" She took his hand and smiled. He led her out on to the dance floor and placing a hand at her waist and taking her other hand in his, they began to dance. His hand was warm to the cool bare skin at her back, and she could not help but notice what a wonderful dancer he was, twirling her around the dance floor, their eyes locked together. _Her skin is like satin beneath my fingers, like nothing I have ever felt,_ he thought as his fingers involuntarily moved against her flesh. She closed her eyes at this, leaning against him, silently asking him to touch her like that again. _I think she felt that_, _but I could be wrong_, he mused as he moved his hand again, deliberately this time, in a circular pattern, feeling more of her skin beneath his hand. She drew in a breath sharply, and this time he knew that she had felt it. Inwardly he smiled, but decided against doing it again, rather he wanted to enjoy this dance, this closeness, with her. 

          The night wore on and she danced with the three winners in turn, Fred Weasley wanted to dance to a fast song since he couldn't slow dance or so he said. Marcus Flint requested a slow dance and his hands kept going places where they should not have been, so Selene decided to put a stop to it and she stepped on his foot, claiming it was an accident. As she finished the dance with him, she looked over and found Severus trying his best not to laugh out loud at what she had done to Marcus. But the slow dance with Harry reminded her of the time she had danced with James so many years ago. She could tell he was very nervous, but hid the fact that she knew very well. When the dance was over, she thanked him and walked over to Severus. The play list hung magically in the air, and she saw that another slow song would be playing soon. _I hope he asks me to dance again, I just hope I don't faint when he touches my skin like I almost did before, _she prayed as she stood by him. 

          The dance started before long and he took her out onto the dance floor again, only this time their bodies touched more than before. She relished in the feel of his body against her, and an image of them in a passionate embrace flashed across her mind. She blinked her eyes, in an effort to clear her mind, but with no luck. It only worsened, for the image now moved, like a film in her mind. He was kissing her neck, his hands caressing her body. Her hand was tangled in his hair, while the other fumbled with the buttons on his shirt. _This is becoming too much_, she thought as she closed her eyes and thought about something completely non-sexual, like flying. It helped her get through the rest of the dance, and everyone clapped as the enchanted instruments finished. 

          Severus leaned in close to her and asked, "Would you like to see the gardens and their decorations?" 

          "I would love to." She replied, taking his offered arm and exiting through the great double doors to the outside gardens. The night air was cool against her fire-warmed shoulders and she had forgotten to grab her shawl on the way out of the Great Hall. Selene rubbed her hands together and tucked her arms closer to her body in an effort to warm herself, but she found it only brought goosebumps to her flesh. 

          "You are cold. Here," as he unclasped his cloak and wrapped it around her shoulders, "have my cloak. I would hate to see you fall ill." She pulled it close around her, inhaling his scent as it drifted up to her nose. _He smells of old parchment, incense (I believe its Sandlewood), and a smell I can't place_, she mused as she inhaled the scent with closed eyes. As they walked along the path, she noticed that the outside was decorated just as opulently as the inside. Fountains bubbled under colored lights, the water flowing in rainbow hues. Fireflies sat on the branches of the Christmas trees and bushes, bathing the air around them in twinkling yellow light. The sky was clear of clouds, offering an unobstructed view of the stars above. 

          Severus reached out and clasped her hand in his, his eyes wide at the icy feel of her hand. "Your hand is bitterly cold. Allow me to warm your hands for you." he commented as he stopped and turned her to face him. Taking her hands in his, words incoherent as he held them close to his lips and a rush of wondrous warmth flooded across the skin of her hands. She smiled up into his eyes, a silent thank you.  They continued along the path, speaking of the Ball and their nervous preparations for it, their insecurities about themselves spilled out in conversation, without either realizing it. Students began to empty from the doors of the castle walking along to pathways and finding seats to talk and cuddle. The path came to a turn that lead them away from the sound of students' voices and back into the silence that once encompassed them. It was not as bright as the previous section of path was, but the walkway was just as beautiful as before. The pathway, a mirror of the sky above, a million tiny jewels of white light on a midnight blanket sky. 

          "Let me guess, the Astronomy professor thought of this one." she commented as she marveled at the sight before her.

          "Yes. He fancies himself quite the romantic." Severus replied with a low chuckle. _Hmm that gives me a 'romantic' idea_, he mused.

          "Pick a shape." he whispered to Selene as he stopped their walk.

          "What?" she questioned, not quite understanding why they had stopped or what he was asking.

          "Pick a shape. An animal – anything." he replied, smiling down at her and the still puzzled expression on her face.

          "Oh. Ok. Umm, a tiger." Selene said, still a little unsure.

          At that Severus held his hand over the ground, pointing to specific ones in what seemed to be a pattern. The chosen ones shown brighter than the rest, and they began to move, under the muttered direction of their conductor. The stars came to a stop in the pattern of a…tiger, just like she had asked. The tiger blinked its large, bright eyes at her as he stretched and lay down, his tail twitching all the while. 

          "Severus, that was amazing." Selene stood wide eyed, amazed at what he had just done.    

          _It worked_, he thought as a romantic rush went through him, _she liked it_.

          "Do it again." she exclaimed, trying her best not to seem like a child.

          He chuckled low in his throat, and replied "Alright, what would you like?"

          "A dragon."

          Again his hand moved over the ground, causing certain stars to brighten under his direction. The moved soundlessly into position to the cadence of Severus' unintelligible voice, forming a dragon, who wings flapped in large, rhythmic arcs. He landed on an invisible ground, curling his tail and wings against his body, and closing its great, brilliant eyes in sleep. 

          Selene was awe struck, even though she knew that Severus was capable of wandless magic, she was still astounded by what he had done. A thought surfaced in her head, to which she told herself 'no way'. But the thought would not leave her mind, and she said to herself, _its worth a try, no matter how corny it may seem_. 

          She turned to him and asked, "Could you do that again? This time," as she pointed skyward, "up there." 

          "I believe I could. What would you like me to do?" he asked her, his eyes staring intently at her.

          A mischievous smile crossed her lips, and she stood on tippy-toe to whisper her request in his ear. Severus shuddered at the sound of her whispered voice as it caressed his ear, willing to give her the world if he could. He looked at her, in surprise, but more so in blissful happiness, at her request. He smiled broadly and then, turning his eyes heaven ward, he reached up and moved the stars into their position, the bright requested shape standing out amongst the other stars. He turned to face her and they both grinned at each other.

          "Its tradition." she commented lowly, pointing skyward.

          "I am familiar with the tradition." he replied, a knowing smile evident on his face.

          Before she could say anything else and before he thought twice, his hand reached up and cupped her face. The tension between them was palpable, as he lowered his lips to hers in what began as a gentle kiss. His lips were warm against hers, soft yet unyielding. Moving his hand from her face to run through her hair and come to a rest on the nape of her neck, drawing her deeper into the kiss. He snaked his arm around her waist, pulling her body against his, taking pleasure in the feeling of her lithe frame against him. Her mind reeled at the feel of his firm form pressed against her, her arm winding its way around his neck as her hand traveled through the silky softness of his hair. Taking her bottom lip between his lips, gently sucking on it, then darting his tongue out to run across it. She sighed as she leaned into him, taking the opportunity to taste his tongue. He tasted of wine, as their tongues danced in a intimate waltz. Both were breathless when the kiss was reluctantly broken and all both could do was stare into the other's eyes, a silent communication between two souls. The kiss that had haunted their dreams and their quiet thoughts for long months had finally happened, and it was everything both had wished for. But a need had been created, yet neither knew other the others want for more. The light of the fireflies began to fade, signaling the end of the Ball. Severus and Selene walked hand in hand back to the castle as the image of the mistletoe faded in the night sky. 

Ooo the first kiss!! Again I apologize for taking so long to post this chapter, my computer is anal. I will be posting a new chapter sooner than I did this one, so stay tuned. Please R & R, thanks!!


	9. Request

OMG!! I have not written in so long. Everything has calmed down and I can finally write in peace. So here goes with another chapter…

Disclaimer: I don't own any Harry Potter characters (unfortunately) except Selene, I created her myself. 

          The only noise in the castle came from the crackle of flames from the torches that lined the stone hallways. Selene missed the noise of the children, their laughter, their voices. The castle seemed so empty, so lonely without them. But not entirely lonely. Severus had kept her company in the afternoons, on long walks through the grounds and wizards chess games in the courtyard followed by picnics on red checkered blankets in the grass. The snow may have been falling but she never noticed. It must have been a warming spell Severus put on the air around them or his presence as he sat close to her, his quiet laughter contagious as he told stories of his life after graduation. But not all of his stories were happy ones, Selene knew that. His past was filled trials and horrifying memories, ones that almost certainly followed him into sleep, haunting his dreams. He had never actually came out with those stories but she could see the pain for years of torture and strife etched on his face at times. But she knew that Severus was the first man she ever felt entirely safe with, at home with. The kiss the night of The Ball had awaked feelings within her that she had not felt for a man in many years, and, in a way it scared her. She feared he would not return her feelings, that it was a passing thing, or as the Muggle's called it "a fling". Then again the fiery look in his eyes whenever she was near should have crushed any thoughts of it being ill-fated. In the back of her mind, a voice would always say, "This is forever" and that always caused her to smile.

          The morning dawned bright, the sun glimmering off of the fresh powdery snow that had fallen the night before. The staff met in the Great Hall for breakfast as usual and then each went their separate ways. Selene went to her room, where she knelt before her trunk. She opened the heavy metal lock and pushed open the lid. She sighed as she stared at its contents, her entire Quidditch career including her old uniform and every magazine and newspaper she had ever been in. Removing her old uniform from its home and placing it on the bed, she began to change out of her robes and into it. Fastening her hair in a pony tail, she turned to face her reflection in the mirror. All she could do was smile. She fetched her broom from behind the door and made for the Quidditch pitch. Mounting her broom, she took to the sky, instantly the cold wind bit at her face and whipped her cloak behind her. She flew circles around the castle towers, the cool stone inches from her shoulders. Wrapping her legs tighter around the broom, she took her hands off, and flew straight up into the clouds. She felt like a bird, arms outstretched to the sky above. Looking back below her, the buildings like ants, she took hold of the broom again, but tighter this time, as she dove in a tight spiral to the earth. Urging the broom faster, she waited for that moment, the moment when, by pulling up, the tips of her feet would be a mere inch from the ground. Blood pounded in her temples and adrenaline raced through her veins as she pulled up hard on the stick causing the broom to level with the ground. She had done it, though she had not doubted that she could. She landed masterfully, where she retrieved the Snitch from its home. Holding it to the sky, she released it, watching as it flew skyward in a blur of golden flutter. She took off after it, weaving behind it. Her eyes never let it as she followed it around the top of the castle, through a port way, and back up toward the sky. It made a beeline for a window on the second level, urging her to chase it. As it neared the window, it slowed, as if in decision on what to do next. _Bad move, Mr. Snitch, _she thought as she reached one hand out to catch him. Firmly tucked into her palm, she stopped at the window. _This is Severus' room_, she mused, _I wonder if he's been watching me_. Sure enough, there he stood half obscured by the drapery. Smiling, Selene threw him a wink and a wave before flying away. 

          _Damn, she saw me;_ Severus cursed, inwardly kicking himself. He thought that she would not have been able to see him obscured by the shadow of the drapes, but he should have known better. A knock at the door tore his eyes from the window. 

          "Enter."

          The door swung open and Dumbledore stepped into the room, a bag of candy in his hand.

          "Lemon drop?", he asked as he held the bag out to Severus.

          "No, but thank you." Dumbledore shrugged and popped one into his own mouth. "What brings you to my chambers, Albus?"

"Ahh, yes. I came to request something of you. I received an owl from the Ministry this morning. Apparently, a family of Welsh Green Dragons have been causing quite a stir in a small town at the base of the Cambrian Mountains called Llangammarch Wells in Wales." 

                   "And this pertains to me how?" Severus asked, folding his arms across his chest.  

          "I was getting to that. I asked the DADA professor, and it appears that his is afraid of dragons. So you were my next logical choice, since you have encountered dragons before. The ministry has their hands full with Lord Voldemort among other things, at present, so they could not spare a wizard to do the job. Also while you were removing them the town, you could gather some scales and talons for your potions' stores." 

          "I see." Severus rubbed his chin as he paced, comtemplating his response. "Well, if I must, then so be it. I suppose it would be profitable for me in the end."

          "Wonderful. You leave tomorrow morning." Dumbledore said smiling as he turned to the door to leave. "Oh, one more thing I forgot. Selene will be traveling with you. Good day." 

With that, Dumbledore turned on his heel and left, closing the door on a very confused looking Severus. _Why is Selene coming with me? Does he think I am not capable of doing this on my own?_ Now Severus was angry. _He thinks me incompetent, that manky git. _With a confident step, he yanked open his door and went to speak with Selene, thinking perhaps she know something about this whole thing. He wasn't angry at the fact that they would be together, alone, away from Hogwarts. To that he was quite pleased, and a few thoughts came to mind that weren't professional. It caused him to smile slightly, but then he remembered what he had been thinking about and his smile faded almost as quickly as it came. 

He came to the pitch as she was putting away the Quidditch balls, the wind causing fly-away hairs to move across her face. As she tucked them behind her ear, she saw him walking toward her, his robes flowing behind him.  _Well, well if it isn't Peeping Tom, or should I say, Peeping Severus._ She smiled at him, but when he didn't return one, her brow knit together in a combination of confusion and annoyance.

"What's wrong?" she inquired after him.

"What's wrong is, Albus just came to me to request my services in the removal of a family of dragons in Wales." Severus spat.

"Oh that. He took me aside this morning and asked if I would assist you. I worked for a brief time right after graduation with a dragon keeper in Ireland. He requested my expertise and I said yes. Is that a problem?" she asked him, cocking an eyebrow.

"No, it's not a problem. I merely thought it was some sort of joke or wild goose chase. But since you confirm it and you have prior experience with dragons, then there is no problem. This shall be quite an experience. Did he rely to you all the specifics of the journey?"

"Yes as a matter of fact he did. Accommodations, names of wizards in the town who we can trust if something should go wrong. He has it very well planned. I will enjoy seeing dragons again, it has been so long since I…" Selene trailed off, a flustered look in her eyes. 

"Since you what?", questioning her flustered appearance.  

"Since…since I've seen them, especially Welsh Greens. They're my favorite.", the words escaping her lips quicker then she would have liked.

"Are you hiding something?", Severus watching her eyes for a sign of lies.

"No, I have nothing to hide.", answering his questioning look with a straight face and an even voice. "Besides," stepping closer to him, "this could prove to be **quite** a lot of fun." The inflection in her voice was made even more evident by the look of playfulness in her eyes. 

Smiling, Severus wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her against him. "And what, pray tell, could you mean by that?" whispering in her ear. Selene shivered against him, the sound of his voice, full of promise and desire, made her wish they were not outdoors. Pulling her face back to look at him, she replied mischievously, "You'll just have to wait and see, won't you?" With a soft kiss on his lips and a wink, she gathered her things and walked back to the castle. All Severus could do was stand there and watch, mesmerized. Inside he was cheering.

That took forever, jeez! Sorry about the long wait, my creative portion of my mind seems to shut off when I'm stressed. But now I have nothing to worry about so the creativity is flowing. Next chapter up very soon, I've already started on it.


	10. Mission

Now I'm back in the groove, it's been forever. That last chapter may be rusty, but now I'm back into it. 

Disclaimer: You all know it so I ain't writing it. 

          Selene's sleep that night was restless, filled with wild, passionate dreams of her and Severus making love by a roaring fire, sweat covering their skin, as hands slid over skin and voices were breathy and feral. She woke with a start; sweaty, the sheets twisted around her ankles, and quite out of breath. _Where did these dreams come from?,_ she wondered, not exactly caring. In fact they were a welcome comfort to her dreamless nights of the past few years. But why all of the sudden had they started? The thought stayed with her as she showered and dressed for the mission ahead of her. Albus had requested they wear Muggle attire, much to Severus' chagrin. Selene kept a few articles of Muggle clothing in case of such events and found she had just the things she needed. 

          Dressed in a cerulean blue wool sweater, jeans, and heavy hiking boots; she made for Dumbledore's office. In a knapsack she carried a down jacket, her wand, and other personal effects. Albus had requested she bring her broom, but she couldn't see the logic in bringing it as they were going to Apparate to their destination. But she trusted in his knowledge of things and brought it anyway. 

          "Chocolate Chip." she said as she stood before the door to Albus' office, which slowly creaked open at the password. She entered and found Severus already there, dressed in a floor length black leather coat, black sweater, black jeans, and black leather boots. I should have known he would wear all black, doesn't he own any other color? she mused as she checked her watch.

          "Am I late?"

          "No, you're right on schedule. Severus was early, he had a few questions for me." Albus said as he motioned to two chairs by the fire. Taking their seats, Albus went over a few things he had forgotten to mention such as duration of the trip and the location of their safe house. With a parting good luck and hand shakes, Dumbledore lead them to the Astronomy tower, the proposed location of their Apparation. 

          "Now, if anything should go wrong, send me an owl immediately." Clapping them on the back, he smiled and left them. 

          Turning to Severus, Selene quipped, "Here goes nothing." With that, they disappeared from the tower, the only remaining indication of their presence was the echo of Severus' chuckle.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

          Seconds later, a pop reverberated against the wooden walls of their safe house. Selene and Severus found themselves in a two room cottage that would be their home for the next few days. One room had pre-made bed and the adjacent room contained a table with chairs and a fireplace. 

          "I guess Albus wasn't kidding when he said cramped quarters." motioning to the single bed. Her voice, however, sounded as though she was not disappointed in the least. Severus picked up on it, but decided that he leave it alone, they had work to do. After all, the faster they got this mission out of the way, they could think about far more enjoyable things. 

          "We should find these dragons, deal with them accordingly, and move on to other things." The tone of his voice hinting at something that Dumbledore had definitely not briefed them on. Selene just smiled and replied, "Yes, lets."

          Stepping out into the cold early morning air, they followed the directions on the parchment they had been given. It had snowed the night before and the fresh powder crunched beneath their feet as they came closer to their destination. The climbed hills and crossed valleys before a range of snow- covered mountains appeared before them. Caves dotted the peaks here and there, looking like splotches of ink on paper.

          "There. The one halfway up the first peak, that's where they're hiding." said Severus, pointing to the cave, which was not far above the base of the mountains. Folding the parchment and tucking it into the pocket of his coat, they made for the cave. Selene was anxious, she hoped that it would go smoothly and wouldn't require her to do anything drastic. Severus picked up on her worry, and clasped her hand in his, holding it firmly. Her fear began to ebb away, for she knew that he would never let anything happen to her, as long as he was there. They hiked up the face of the mountain, his hand still holding hers, helping her climb. She could hear the heavy sleepy breathing of the dragons, and counted a family of four; two adults and two adolescents. 

          They reached the outer ledge and Severus peered around the rocks into the cave. "Ok, I'll go in first and then you follow. I'll address them initially and then you can try if it doesn't work." Selene nodded in reply and followed him in. The cave was warmer, the air heavy. In the dim light, she could make out the sleeping forms of the dragons, the adults curled around their young. "Lumos." and his wand lit up the cavern with its glow. Their scales shimmered an emerald green in the light, the steady rise and fall of their torsos now clearly visible, they were much bigger than she had expected. Their wings were massive blankets of scales over their bodies, shiny just like their bodies. Their steps echoed off the cavern walls, waiting for the dragons to stir. The male's eyes were the first to open, their obsidian pupils eyeing them closely. He rose his head, now on the defensive, and opened his powerful jaws to roar. The sound was defining as it resounded on the walls, causing Severus to clasp his hands over his ears. Selene, however, was stoic by his side, as the sound did not bother her. 

          As the echo faded, Severus removed his hands from his ears and spoke in a clear strong voice, "We are here to request that you leave this area and move to another location." The dragon stared at him, a look of non-comprehension in his eyes. Severus addressed him again, "Do you not understand me? I said that you must take your family and leave this place. You are troublesome and are not welcome here." This time his voice had a note of anger in its cadence, and the dragon, despite not understanding his words, understood the tone. He stood on all fours and stepped toward Severus, his heavy footfall shaking the ground. Without notice, two jets of thin bright flame issued from his nostrils, hitting Severus across the chest. The force knocked him to the ground his clothing ablaze. Selene went to him, putting out the flames with a spell. 

As she crouched near his body, she turned to face the dragon. Opening her mouth she spoke to the dragon for the first time since they had arrived. But the words that came from her mouth were not English, but a guttural language, filled with growls, hisses, and melodious roars. The dragon stepped back as if he had been hit by something heavy. Shock was etched on his face as he listened to Selene's voice. No one had ever addressed him this way and the dragon, much to Severus' astonishment, smiled; his yellow teeth slowly exposing as his lips curled back. He sat back on his haunches, and began to speak. The words were the same, only louder and deeper. Selene and the dragon continued to speak as Severus lay on the floor in awe. _I didn't know she spoke __Drachesprache, Dragon Language_, Severus thought as he watched them converse. Selene turned to Severus and told him what the dragon had just said.

          "This family has no where else to go. They have lived here for centuries and since food has become scarce, they have had to resort to scaring the villagers for food. He knows that it's not right but he feels he has no choice. I told him that if they wish to stay they must be respectful of the humans if they want to continue to live here. And about the scales and talons, he says you can have as many as you wish, just leave him with enough to get by." Severus just lay there, listening to her, but not hearing all of what she said. He nodded mutely, and she went to retrive the articles from the dragons. Once that was done she thanked the dragon and his family in their tongue, and helped Severus to his feet. As they were leaving the dragon called after Selene, and told her to tell her compainion he was sorry and hoped he could understand why he had done what he did. She relayed the message and Severus told her to tell him he accepted his apology. She passed the mesasage back to the dragon, who smiled, bade them good day and promised to be respectful of the village and its people. He offered to fly them to their home and Selene agreed, for she didn't think she could carry Severus all the way back to the house. 

          Moving Severus onto the dragon's back, then hoisting herself on as well, the dragon stepped on the ledge and, in a flurry of wings, they were airborne. He flew them to a clearing just behind their cottage, helping Severus off with his wing and then Selene in turn, before taking off into the gray cloudy sky. She swung his arm across her shoulders, and carried him into the house.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

          Once inside the house, she sat Severus on the bed. Removing his coat and sweater gently, not wanting to cause him any more pain, she surveyed the wound. Not life-threating, but still painful, covering his left arm and shoulder with blisters and red raw skin. _I'm no mediwitch but i know a few spells that will ease the pain and take away the blisters, _she thought as she planned her course of action. She lay him back on the bed, and Severus winced. He looked up at her and spoke, "Why didn't you tell me you spoke Drachesprache?"

          "Shh, rest now. We can talk later when you are well." Lighting a fire in the fireplace with her wand as she spoke. In the soft glow of the firelight, she saw something black on his inner forearm. Thinking it was burnt black skin, she went to rub it away, but it didn't move. Qizzically, she lifted his arm, and saw it was a tattoo. Realization dawned on her and she swallowed hard. _He's a Deatheater, but why did he not tell me? _she thought as she watched him sleep. _I guess we both have something to hide, something we aren't proud of_. Tomorrow they would both have things to explain. But, for now, his health was more important than the lies they had both told.

          What will happen when the explanations start flowin'? Stay tuned, another chapter in a couple of days, 3 tops.


	11. Admission

That last chapter was long, sorry, I had a lot to say. As for Drachesprache or Dragon Language, I thank my mother for the idea. She's the best. She thought _Dracolingua_ sounded too much like Draco Malfoy, so I dropped that idea like a hot potato. This chapter is a teaser and is one step closer to what you all have so patiently been waiting for.

Disclaimer: I don't own Severus, but in my dreams I do. J 

          That night sleep did not come easily to Severus, who tossed and turned fitfully on the bed, mumbled words coming from his lips. Selene, however, sat in a chair by the fire, staring blankly into the flames. She could not sleep, her worry for him was far too high. She felt that his injure was all her fault, if she had told him, none of this would have happened. Tears stung her eyes, as she fought the urge to cry. Unable to stop the stream of salty tears, she cried long and hard, but silently into her hands. Around midnight she went to his side, checking his wound. The skin was still raw red, but the blisters were substantially smaller and looked less painful. Watching his face, she sat softly on the bed, not wanting to disturb his sleep. Reaching out her hand, she gingerly touched his shoulder. The burn felt warm under her fingers, but not angry with infection. _My spells must have worked, _she sighed, her worry falling away. Severus stirred in his sleep, but did not open his eyes. Taking a cool, wet cloth from the bowl on the bedside table, she lay it across his shoulder. He sighed softly and his breathing became even. 

She continued to watch him sleep as she scanned his face, admiring his features. He looked like a young man, worry and anger gone from his features, leaving behind a delicate countenance.  His long, dark lashes grazed the skin beneath his eyes and his full lips resting gently on one another. _He's so handsome_, she thought as she softly ran her fingers across his cheek. Taking a chance, she ran her fingers down his neck, feeling the sharp stubble of his beard. Risking even further, she touched the skin of his chest, soft and warm beneath her fingers. Closing her eyes she visualized his body against hers, naked and hot. Her breath caught in her throat at the vision. Opening her eyes, she chanced a glimpse at his body. That's when she finally saw all of the scars that criss-crossed his athletic torso. White gashes marred the already paleness of his skin. Taking her fingers, she touched them, as numerous as they were, feeling the deepness of them. Now she fully understood the reason he wore the clothing he did, to hide them from prying eyes. A swell of pity welled in her chest for him, wanting to hold him safe from the world. Looking lower, she saw a trail of black hairs disappear into the waistband of his jeans. Her thoughts suddenly became desirous as she ran her fingers though the soft hair there, stopping only when she came the waistband barrier of his pants. 

"That tickles." Severus whispered, as she jumped off the bed with a gasp. She clutched her chest, gasping for breath.

"You scared me. I'm sorry for…I didn't mean to…I was…just…", she trailed of, unable to explain herself.

"It's alright." Severus chuckled low in his chest, "Sit back down." he said as he patted the bed next to him. She sat down next to him, making sure to keep her hands to herself. 

"I said it tickled, but that doesn't mean I didn't like it." he said as sat up, taking her face in his hand, bringing her chin up to look into his eyes. Warmth rushed through her body as she stared into his eyes, and saw a look of complete longing and lust in them. They were darker then she had ever seen them, and a grin graced his lips. She swallowed hard and her breath came ragged gasps. Turning away from him, she spoke, "Severus, I…", but could not find the words, her brain too caught up in the moment. 

After a long moment, he said, "What is it, love?"

Gathering her composure, she began, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about my gift. I should have told you, then none of this would have happened. It's all my fault." She began to cry and she got up from the bed and walked to fireplace. Severus sat on the bed for what seemed like ages before he got up and walked to her. He stood behind her, and taking her into his arms held her against him. He turned her to face him and said, "No, I should have told you who I was. You are not at fault here, I am. My stupid pride kept me from telling you. I…" closing his eyes and shaking his head before he continued, "I feared that your affection for me would cease once you knew who I really was.", he finished with a sigh, unable to look her in the eyes. 

Taking his face in her hands, she stared into his eyes, "Severus, nothing could change my love for you. You are a brave, intelligent, wonderful person and everyone has things in there past they are not proud of. Sometimes we fear that others will see us differently than we wish if we let them in. But that is the wonderful risk of it all, to bargin everything in the hopes of capturing what we most desire. And if they change their opinion toward us, then they don't truly love us. Love encompasses all, the good and the bad. If we only loved someone for their good, then we would never be able to love." Severus just listened to her speak, his mind folding around her words. _She truly does love me despite everything_, he thought a smile creeping across his face. Pulling her to him, he whispered in her ear, "I have always loved you. Your admission has made me happier than I could have ever imagined." She cried softly against his shoulder as he held her in his arms. 

Pulling back to kiss away the tears from her cheeks, he caught her eyes and asked in the softest of whispers, "Will you let me love you?" All Selene could do was nod. With a sigh, he kissed her softly wrapping his arm around her waist and letting his free hand travel to the braid that ran down her back, working it free of its tie with his nimble fingers. She moved against him, eliciting a groan deep in throat and she took the opportunity of his open mouth to taste him. Running her tongue first along his lips, then diving in to taste him deeper. Their tongues danced to together; tasting, feeling, wanting. The arm around her waist shifted allowing him to snake his hand under her sweater. He reveled in the warmth and suppleness of her skin beneath his grasping fingers, drawing a soft moan from her lips as she left her head fall back. Severus took the opportunity to taste the flesh at her neck, nipping at it softly with his teeth, before placing soothing kisses on the spots. Running his tongue from her chin down her throat slowly caused her to moan and grip the flesh at his shoulders roughly. Severus hissed in pain, and Selene snapped out of the trance. 

"Oh gods. I'm sorry, I completely forgot about your shoulder. I was…", she ended her sentence with a blush, her voice deep and lusty.

"You were preoccupied.", he finished her sentence with a smirk, "So was I." 

"Your hurt. We shouldn't…", again she couldn't finish her thought. 

"Shouldn't do this? I have been in worse states and that never stopped me.  And you think a little burn is going to stop me from making love to? I have a high tolerance for pain when it comes to doing things. The only thing that could stop us now would be…", his sentence interrupted by a pop from the fireplace behind them, "would be that." 

"Hello, Albus."

Sure enough they both turned to see the floating head of Dumbledore above the flames. "Just checking in on your progress." 

A look of realization crossed his face as he surveyed the two wizards before him. Both looked disheveled, lips swollen and hair out of place. And a knowing smile graced his face. 

"I see things are progressing…um…rather well. I see you are debriefing each other, so I'll leave you to it. Jolly good work. Good day. Oh, and enjoy yourselves." And with a resounding pop his face disappeared from the flames. Selene blushed and laughed. She could not believe it, but then again, things always had a funny way of just happening. Severus was laughing as well, and looking at her, said, "Well, shall we follow is advice and 'enjoy ourselves'"?

"Oh yes.", was all Selene had to say as he began to kiss her again. And they both hoped that there would be no more interruptions.

          Oooo I'm so bad for ending it here, but it's going to be worth it. Trust me.


	12. Passion

Here comes the good stuff, as promised last chapter. Enjoy!

          Dumbledore's interruption long forgotten, they kissed deeply, drawing apart only to grasp short breaths. His hands traveled over her body as he backed her toward the bed, his hands moving under her sweater to caress the skin of her stomach. She felt dizzy and light-headed, her knees weak and her heart pounding. Moving his lips from hers to her jaw line, kissing his way to ear, where he nibbled at her earlobe. She moaned his name, her hands threading in his hair. Moving back just long enough to pull the sweater from her body, he threw it into a dark corner and fell to his knees before her. He assaulted her stomach with his tongue, lips, and teeth; kissing, licking, and biting at the delicate skin there. Selene could no longer stand her, knees were jello, and she slid to the floor. 

          Feeling bold, she pushed Severus onto his back and straddled his waist. She could feel him hard and hot against her wetness. She decided to be a little mischievous and return the sweet torture he had just shown her. She slowly ground her hips into him, small circles became hard, short thrusts. Severus was reeling, if he did not do something quick, it would end all too quickly and he had not even begun to show her what he could do. Sitting up, he snaked his arms around to unhook her bra. Then taking the strap in his teeth slid it off one shoulder, then the next. He sucked in a sharp breath at the sight before him. Taking the bra off her arms he flung it in the corner, coming to rest on her sweater. Her skin was perfect, and her nipples were rosy and already very hard. Taking one of her breasts in his hand, he squeezed the soft flesh ever so gently and without warning took one nipple into his mouth, where he tortured it with his tongue. Flicking it with his tongue, he sucked gently and bit it softly. 

          "Please, Severus…" Selene begged, her voice low and throaty.

          "Please what? Tell me what you want me to do." his eyes shining with lust.

          "Do it again. Please…."

          Severus just smiled at her and granted her wish. He took the other breast in his hand, and repeated his ministrations there, all the while teasing her other nipple with his thumb. Selene was overwhelmed, she arched her back into his mouth, hoping he would get the point and continue. He stayed with her breasts for a long while but wanted to taste more of her. Flipping her on to her back, he moved down her body placing wet kisses along the way. Reaching her jeans he began to take them off, tossing them behind his back, followed shortly after by her underwear. He sat back on his heels and stared at her beautiful naked form before him. Feeling suddenly self-conscious, she made an attempt to hide herself. 

          "No don't, please. Let me see you." he whispered as he moved her hands away, "You are so beautiful." His voice did little to hide the passion in his eyes, it only conveyed it more. Moving up to kiss her on the lips, he slowly traveled along her neck to her ear. 

          "Let me taste you. Here." at that, his hand traveled down her body to the mound of curls at her center. Her eyes grew wide and she whispered back, "I've never had…." She could not finish her sentence, she felt embarrassed to even say the words. 

          It was Severus' turn to be shocked. "No man has ever done this for you?"

          All she could do was shake her head. 

          "Do you want me to?"

At this she nodded, a small smile creeping on her face. 

"Then tell me you want it." 

Selene swallowed hard and began, "Severus, I want…I want you…to…taste me there, please."

He moaned at her request and made his way down her body to her wetness. Gently he ran his tongue across her slowly. She bucked her hips and whimpered at this, putting her hands in his hair, urging him on. She was the sweetest thing he had ever tasted and wanted so much more of it. Taking her clit in his lips he sucked softly at first, but if her continuous moans and cries were any indication, she wanted more from him. And he gladly obliged. He suckled her harder, then ran his tongue along her cleft, tasting every drop. Taking her clit once again in his lips, he slowly inserted a finger deep inside of her and felt her muscles clench and enfold around the intrusion. He slowly drew his finger out and then back in, set to the time of his suckling. Soon he began to feel her clench around him and increased his pace, drawing her closer to the edge. Then it hit her, like a bolt of lightning, her climax coursing through her body. Her muscles gripped at his finger, and she screamed his name, gripping his hair tightly. Severus smiled against her, and waiting till she had stopped shaking, moved up to look into her eyes. 

"Did you like it?" he asked, his lips inches from hers.

She could barely form her words as she replied, "Yes, very much."

He smiled broadly and kissed her, letting her taste herself in the kiss. She pulled away and spoke the words he had yearned so long for her to say, "Make love to me, Severus."

His eyes fluttered shut and he sighed, then opening his eyes to find her staring intently at him, long held passion burning in her hazel eyes, and granted her wish. Summoning the down blanket from the bed, he picked her up and lay her upon it. Removing his jeans, he lay down beside her and whispered, "Don't hold back. I want to hear you scream my name when you come beneath me." At that, he positioned himself above her and her entrance, and staring deep into her eyes, slowly entered her. She was white hot and very wet, gripping every inch of him. When he had sheathed himself completely, he stopped and relished in the feeling of her finally around him. Not just inside of her, but her legs and arms wrapped tightly around his body. Only then did he move; slowly, tenderly, wanting her to savor every movement. But the way her muscles gripped him within her, he could not hold back much longer. He began to thrust faster and harder. Her voice begged him not to stop, that she was so close, her nails raking his back and he could feel her muscles contracting around his member, urging him to join her in her climax. His strained voice coupled with hers, crying her name as he came deep within her, her orgasm milking him of his. He shuddered over her and collapsed, drained of every last bit of energy he had. He rolled over and covering her and himself in the blanket, pulled her into his arms, holding her close to his racing heart. She could barely breath, let alone think, as she slowly drifted off to sleep, listening to Severus whisper in her ear, "I love you, Selene." He knew, that as he held her close, he was finally home. And he joined her in sweet sleep.

          There ya go. Hope you like it (crosses fingers). Please review, as always. More to come very soon.


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